Cerebral Palsy Essay

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Psychological Problems Associated with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a condition that limits physical abilities. This disability affects about one child in every five hundred children (Micheksen 405). Cerebral Palsy is mostly known to affect children by severe motor impairment, however; this disorder can affect a person in a psychological way too.
A cross-sectional European Study was done by a group of eleven people focusing on the psychological impact of children with cerebral palsy (Michelsen 406) Eight hundred and eighteen children between the ages of eight and twelve were involved. The main goal of the “SPARCLE” study was to investigate if cerebral palsy relates to psychological and behavioral problems. A strengths and difficulties …show more content…

It also showed that children with milder cerebral palsy had higher behavioral difficulties in comparison to children with more severe cases. The reason being that severe cerebral palsy prevents certain behaviors, such as fighting or cheating (Michelsen 410). The parental impact score survey showed that almost half of all participants agreed that their child suffered difficulties. When asked how often the family was affected by the child’s cerebral palsy forty-two percent answered, “Quite a lot” (Michelsen 409). Another forty percent of parents believe their child struggles with behavior and communication skills among children their age in school (Michelsen …show more content…

One hundred and ten children whose age were nine, eleven, and thirteen took place in this study (Schuengel 1252) Once again the children with cerebral palsy took self-assessment surveys that included subjects such as, physical performance, appearance, and if they were satisfied with their overall abilities (Schuengel 1253). The scores were tallied and based on a one to four assessment score. Four being associated with positive perception and one corresponding to negative perception (Schuengel 1253). Surveys were also given to children who did not have CP and the findings were then compared. The calculated scores indicated that children with cerebral palsy had similar results to children without CP, however; differed when physical activities and abilities were taken in consideration (Schuengel 1255). Shockingly there were no differences found based on contentment with performance. This may be justified by children with cerebral palsy receiving positive feedback on any action they do, ultimately boosting the child’s confidence and leading to overall happiness (Schuengel 1251). Furthermore, it is important for a parent to support their child psychologically to improve their child’s

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